Frederick james biggs



P. J. BIGGS.

(ModeL) LOCK.

Patented May 26, 1891.

WITNESSES NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK JAMES BIGGS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE TUBULAR LOCK SYNDICATE, LIMITED, OF SAME PLACE.

LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 452,893, dated May 26, 1891.

Application filed June 17, 1890. Serial No. 355,759- (Model) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK JAMES BIGGS, of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tubular Locks, of which the following is a specification.

In tubular looks of the class having a 1ongitudinally-movable bolt-plate carrying the bolt and pivoted tumblers for controlling its movement the space between the two side walls or half-rounds, which constitute the lock-frame within the inclosing tube, is so limited that it is difficult to provide for a large number of variations of keys.

The object of the present invention is to overcome this difficulty in looks of the said class; and it consists in inserting one or more removable vertical sheets or plates of steel or other metal within the lockin any position between the half-rounds or side walls, the said sheets or plates having key-holes or openings to admit of the passage of the key through them from one side of the lock to the other side, the working parts of the lock being thus divided into as many additional separate and distinct compartments as there are sheets inserted. The bit of the key must be slotted to correspond with the number of sheets inserted, so as to enable it to turn, the portions of the bit between the slots entering the separate compartments created by the sheets. The key can thus escape the sheets in turning. According to the size of the openings which allow of the passage of the key through the sheet, so will the slot in the bit of the key be made more or less deep to correspond. Thus, if the opening is so small as just to allow the pin and bit of the key to pass, the bit should be slotted right up to the pin. If, on the other hand, the opening is larger, the bit should be slotted to a less depth. The said sheets or plates can be placed between the half-rounds or walls of the lock and the levers, or between the tumblers themselves, (when more than one,) or between the tumblers and the bolt-plate, or in more than one of these positions. It will be readily understood that by using a greater or less number of these sheets or plates by placing them in different positions and by having sheets or plates of difierent thickness a great variety of keys can be provided for. The interlocated sheets are loose or detachable pieces+that is to say, they are not permanently fixed to the look, but are simply placed, or, as it were, dropped into the desired positions. It is thus easy for a builder or carpenter before fixing locks in place to vary them as he may desire by varying the positions or number of the sheets and by slotting the keys to correspond. Thus, for example, a lock with five tumblers can be readily converted into a lock with four tumblers and one interlocated sheet, or into one with three tumblers and two interlocated sheets, or into one with two tumblers and three interlocated sheets, or into one with one tumbler and four interlocated sheets. By the changes effected by these substitutions, an dtakinginto account the varying thicknesses of the tumblers, the possible key variations are exceedinglynumerous. The saidsheets may be arranged either to remain stationary in the look while the boltplate and its attached tumbler or tumblers are being moved backward or forward longitudinally during the latching or looking and during the unlatching or unlocking, or to move horizontally with the bolt-plate and tumbler or tumblers during these operations. In the first case the sheets or plates are formed with a hole to drop or fit onto a fixed stump or stumps on one of the side walls of the lock also with horizontal slots for stumps on the bolt-plate and follow-plate to move in and with a key-hole. In the second case they are formed with holes to drop or fit, respectively, onto stumps on the bolt-plate, and they are also slotted so as to escape or slide on the stump or stumps on the sidewalls, and they have two key-holes corresponding with the position of the sheets in the unlocked and locked positions, respectively. These two key-holes are connected by a slot, and this slot is continued forward beyond the front key-hole for a sufficient distance to clear the pin of the key when the lock is unlatched or IOO Figure 1 is'a side elevation of a lock of the class having a longitudinally-movable boltplate carrying the bolt and pivoted tumblers for controlling its movement, with the tubular case partly in section and the fore plate in section, illustrating that modification of the invention in which the interlocated sheets or plates are stationary that is to say, do not move with the bolt-plate and its attached to tumblers. The lock is shown in the unlocked position and one of the half-rounds or walls and the tumblers on the same side of the bolt-plate are removed. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the lock on line 2 2 of Fig. 1; r5 Fig. 3, a transverse section of the lock on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig.4is aface View of one of the interlocated sheets 01' plates of the lock shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, but with the addition of an embossment, hereinafter described; and Fig. 4,-an edge view of this sheet. Fig. 5 is a view corresponding with Fig. 1, but showing that modification of the invention in which the interlocated sheets or plates move horizontally with the bolt-plate and tumbler 2 5 or tumblers during the latching or looking and unlatching or unlocking operations. Fig.

6 is a view of one of the interlocated sheets or plates of the lock shown in Fig. 5.

Ct 17 are the two half-rounds or side walls,

of which CL is, as usual, permanently fixed to the back of the fore plate 0, while I) is a detached piece, with tenons at its front end to fit into corresponding holes in the back of the fore plate, as is usual in looks of this de- 5 soription.

cl is the latching-bolt; e, the bolt-plate carrying the latter; f, the follow-plate; g g, the tumblers, of which two are shown on. each side of the bolt-plate e. These tumblers, the

number of which is optional, fit on stumps or pins 71, and t' on the bolt-plate.

j is a stump on the side wall or half-round a, the respective sides of said stump forming stops to the projection 7.: of the tumblers in 5 the unlocked and locked positions.

Z is a stump on the follow-plate, normally en gagingwith the catch m on the tumblers.

n is a stump on the side wall a, forming a guide to the follow-plate, which is slotted at 0 p to fit said stump.

Z0 is the tubular case fitting the half-rounds a 1.

The various parts above referred to present no special feature of novelty.

q q are the interlocated sheets or plates. They are shown as placed between the boltplate 6 and the tumblers on each side of said bolt-plate; but their position can be varied, as desired.

In the modification shown in Figs. 1 to 4, each of the sheets (1 is formed with a hole 1' to fit or drop onto the stump j; also with a slot 5 for the stump t' on the bolt-plate to move in, with a slot 15 for the stump l on the 65 follow-plate to move in, and with a key-hole u. In locks in which the stump Z on the follow-plate does not exist the slott in the sheet q is unnecessary. In Figs. 4 and t, which represent one of the sheets q separate from the other parts of the lock, an embossment z is shown around part of the key-hole to. This embossment, the position, width, and depth of which can be different in different sheets, or omitted from some of them, provides further scope for key variations, because the bits have to be shaped to allow them to free these embossments in turning.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the interlocated sheets have each a hole .12, Fig. 6, to fit or drop onto the stump h on the bolt-plate, and a hole 5 to fit onto the stump on the bolt-plate; also a slot r to move or slide on the stump j, with two key-holes u a corresponding with the position of the sheets q q in the unlocked and locked positions, respeetively, with a slot or way w between said key-holes to enable the sheet to slide past the pin of the key during the locking and unlocking, and with a continuation a: of said slot or way to to clear the pin of the key when the lock is unlatched or drawn entirely within the look when the key is in it.

\Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is-

1. A tubular lock having a longitudinallymovable bolt-plate, a bolt carried thereby, and a tumbler for controlling its movement, in combination with detachable sheets or plates of steel or other metal having a hole for the passage of the key and constructed to, permit com plete rotation of thelatter therein, said sheets or plates being inserted between said bolt-plate and the side walls of the look within its case, and constructed when in the.

lock to extend parallel with said bolt, sub.-

stantially as and-for the purpose set forth.

2. A tubular lock having a longitudinally movable bolt-plate, a bolt carried thereby,

I and a tumbler for controlling its movement,

in combination with detachable. sheets or plates of steel or other metal inserted between parts of the lock within and parallel IIO with the side walls or half-rounds, having a hole for the passage of the key and constructed to permit complete rotation of the latter therein, and also a hole to fit a stump fixed to, one of said side walls, whereby said sheets remain stationary while the bolt-plate and tumbler or tumblers are moved forward or backward, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a tubular lock, the side walls, the boltplate, the tumblers, a lateral stump fixed to one of said side walls, the follow-plate, and a. lateral stump fixed thereto, in combination with a detachable sheet or plate inserted be: tween parts of the lock within said side walls and constructed with a hole 1' for the stump on said side wall, a slot 25 for the stumpvon said follow-plate to move in, and a key-hole to, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A tubular lock having a longitudinallymovable bolt-plate, a bolt carried thereby,

turning and constructed to permit the complete rotation of the key therein, said sheet or plate being adapted to be fitted between parts of the look within the case, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK JAMES BIGGS. Witnesses:

WALTER TILLEY BROWNE, GEORGE O. BACON. 

